The Flying Dutchman phantom

From the one hand, we believe in ghosts. From the other hand, we create them. So... we haunt ourselves? The Flying Dutchman is undeniably the most famed ghost ship in nautical folklore; as legend has it, she is doomed to sail “the seven seas” for eternity and she can never return home. The name of this ship has become a generic term for identifying either a fictional phantom ship or a real abandoned ship – often seen as an apparition – floating freely after being reported sunk. The Flying Dutchman is usually spotted in a ghostly glow from a far distance. However, there might be a quite plausible scientific explanation for these sightings. There exists a curious atmospheric phenomenon called fata morgana – a mirage resulting from certain temperature conditions which can create an illusion that ships or even islands below the horizon line are floating above it.

The tale of the Flying Dutchman, universally agreed to be of a Dutch origin, has been elaborated by many writers. There are numerous adaptations of the story, including the English play “The Flying Dutchman” (1826) by Edward Fitzball, a novel “The Phantom Ship” (1837) by Frederick Marryat, a story “Het Vliegende Schip” (“The Flying Ship”) by a Dutch clergyman A.H.C. Römer. Other versions include a world-renowned opera by Richard Wagner (1841) and “The Flying Dutchman on Tappan Sea” (1855) by a famous American essayist and historian Washington Irving.The name of the captain varies according to sources: one consider the 17th century Dutch captain Bernard Fokke to be a model captain for the ghost ship; another believe the captain’s name was Falkenburg; yet another propose an alternative name of Van der Decken. There’s also much disagreement on whether “Flying Dutchman” was a name of the ship or a nickname for her captain.

In February 2011, Emond Montgomery Publications features The Flying Dutchman artwork in a grade 9-10 Visual Textbook, ArtWorks (the “Book”). Emond Montgomery is to reprint the image(s) described below in all editions (including electronic editions) of the Book, and to use the same in connection with any advertising, promotion or publicity for the Book, in the English language throughout Canada. Image(s): George Grie, The Flying Dutchman, 2006

Artwork has 9 comments Your opinion is important, please be considered while expressing your view. We have zero tolerance to profane and curse language.

mahmoud / Egypt / Jul 31stu made me live in ur world of fantasy.wht a great imagination that u hve made it as if its
real im in ur world now

Carol / United States / Jul 15thYour creations are gorgeous! Can I have your permission to use it for my Art class?? I
showed them to my students and they liked it but I am not sure if it is ok for me to use
it to teach them graphite drawing.
Thanks,
Carol

mila / Latvia / Apr 29thlove it so much!

Samuel / Australia / Mar 8thI would like to use it on my car and I am happy to put your signature on it and advertise
u on my website,

Geir Rege / Norway / Aug 19thWe are Norway opera company who may be interested in using you image "Flying Dutchman
Phantom" for an opera poster in connection with our staging of the opera Flying Dutchman
this autumn. We wonder if this would be an interesting proposal for you?

Marc Renaud / Canada / Jul 19thI'm asking permission to copy paste your creations and share them with my friends and or
use them as wallpaper on my computer screen. I do not intend to make any kind of profit
with your artwork and have no wish to modify any of them.